August 22, 2017

Federal agencies face a cascading series of challenges before and after a presidential election and into the early months of a new administration. Throughout the transition, the Partnership for Public Service brought together agency transition leaders from nearly 40 agencies to help improve this process. From these convenings, the Partnership and The Boston Consulting Group have compiled best practices into a guide for senior career leaders.

Trump is losing his Census director, which could matter more than James Comey’s firingIn the News

May 09, 2017

"Donald Trump's administration's bad week is getting a lot worse, even after his surprise firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday. The director of the U.S. Census Bureau, John H. Thompson, announced his resignation this week as the agency faces a funding crisis leading up to the 2020 decennial count, the Washington Post reported. His resignation will be effective June 30, the Commerce Department announced on Tuesday."

Trump still has a lot of positions to fillIn the News

April 28, 2017

"President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office have been extraordinarily newsworthy, from the ongoing investigations into Russia’s contacts with his inner circle to courts repeatedly halting his immigration-related executive orders to the missile strike on Syria. But in the midst of all the action, Trump has quietly failed to accomplish a mundane but critical task facing every new president: to appoint people to fill 4,000 job openings in the federal government."

April 27, 2017

"With U.S. President Donald Trump facing challenges overseas in Syria and North Korea, as well as growing tensions with Russia, the public face of his his administration remains largely unknown, with hundreds of top U.S. diplomatic positions still unfilled."

Trump’s next 1,361 daysIn the News

April 25, 2017

"Donald Trump is not wrong: Judging a presidency on its first 100 days is an inherently ridiculous exercise. There is, however, a less ridiculous way to assess Trump’s first few months, and he does not fare well."

April 24, 2017

"Nearly 100 days into his term, President Donald Trump hasn't nominated anyone for 85% of key executive branch positions that require Senate confirmation. Of the 554 positions requiring confirmation, as of Saturday, 473 have no nominee, 35 have been announced but not formally nominated, 24 have been nominated, and just 22 have been confirmed thus far, according to a database put together by the Washington Post and the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service."

USA TODAY roundtable: Advice for Trump? Take a deep breathIn the News

April 24, 2017

"USA TODAY's Capital Download convened a roundtable of White House veterans and scholars Monday to assess President Trump's first 100 days — a milestone he reaches Saturday — and to put his successes and setbacks in perspective. Below are excerpts from that conversation, moderated by Washington Bureau chief Susan Page. Participants were Sara Fagen, former White House political director for President George W. Bush; Ronald Klain, former chief of staff for vice presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden; Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service; and Nicole Hemmer, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. Comments have been edited for length and clarity. See the full discussion on USA TODAY's Facebook page."

Trump team work ramps up but with bare-bones crewIn the News

April 21, 2017

"President Donald Trump’s team of top advisers is expected to remain bare bones after Congress returns, raising questions about the administration’s ability to achieve an ambitious overhaul of the U.S. tax code, reshape the budget, and change the regulatory landscape."

Trump learning to love Bush aidesIn the News

April 17, 2017

"Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly declared that “the last thing we need is another Bush,” as he vowed to take on two political dynasties — the Bushes and the Clintons. But as president, Trump has been increasingly dipping into the talent pool from the George W. Bush administration that he regularly vilified during the campaign to now fill critical administration posts."

Trump administration hasn’t even named candidates for hundreds of key positionsIn the News

April 13, 2017

"Despite an ambitious agenda, the Trump administration is wrapping up its first 100 days with a long list of campaign promises to work on — and a longer list of White House positions that remain empty. Some three months into Trump's term, two of his nominees, Labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta and Agriculture secretary nominee Sonny Perdue, have yet to be confirmed. The delays are far longer than for any of the last six administrations."

Trump transition the slowest in decadesIn the News

April 13, 2017

"The Trump administration is appointing Senate-confirmed positions, including those critical to national security, at a historically slow pace, according to experts tracking the effort to staff up the government. Terry Sullivan, executive director of the nonpartisan White House Transition Project, characterized the progress as "slow -- in every dimension."

SEC sees transition as opportunity to involve employees in engagement improvementsIn the News

April 12, 2017

"The Securities and Exchange Commission sees transition years like this one as an opportunity to capitalize on recent improvements it’s made on employee engagement. The SEC jumped from 27th to sixth on the Best Places to Work rankings over the past five years. The Partnership for Public Service in 2016 recognized SEC as the “most improved” among mid-sized agencies. It raised its index score by 7.5 points in 2016."

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that believes good government starts with good people. We help government serve the needs of all Americans by strengthening the civil service and the systems that support it.